A Blackberry Bliss Birthday!

Hi Everyone!

Hope the summer is treating you all wonderfully!

I have been dying to try out a bunch of new stuff from Stampin' Up! for some time now but just haven't had the mojo to do so but today was the day!  I decided to make a very simple card that could be replicated in any colour and would look great if one decided to make a few to give to a friend in a beautiful gift box or something similar.  The challenge over at Colour Me...! this week was a monochromatic one - to use the new In Colour - Blackberry Bliss.

 Here is the card I designed, super simple:

The pictures actually don't do this beautiful colour justice at all...

Card Recipe:

Card Stock: Blackberry Bliss, Whisper White

Stamp Sets: Another Great Year

Inks: Blackberry Bliss

Tools/Techniques: Project Life Corner Punch, 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon - Blackberry Bliss

Thanks for dropping by!

Steph

A Nautical Father's Day

Hi Everyone,

I don't know where the time has gone or where my crafting bug has gone lately...  It was so nice to get together with a couple of my friends today and actually craft!  It was a much needed release.

Today I thought I should get my Father's Day card done - unfortunately it won't make it to my Dad in time for Father's Day.  He will enjoy it once it gets there however.

I thought I would enter a few challenges in order to get my card done:

1) Seize the Sketch

I loved this week's sketch - it was perfect!

2) The Paper Players

I really thought the colours of Real Red, Night of Navy and Whisper White would be perfect for a nautical theme.  It would also allow me to use some of my new DSP - Maritime.

3) The Card Concept

Today's post from The Card Concept challenge was perfect - use a nautical theme!  I decided to play along in the Clean & Layered portion of the challenge this week.

So combining all of these challenges, here is my card:

Card Recipe:

Card Stock: Night of Navy, Whisper White, Maritime DSP

Inks: Versamark

Stamp Sets: The Open Sea, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Tools/Techniques: Circles Framelits, Itty Bitty Labels Framelits, Smoky Slate Embossing Powder, Whisper White Bakers Twine.

Thanks for dropping by!!

Steph

Happy Mother's Day!

Hi Everyone!

Can you believe that Mother's Day is just around the corner?  I am excited because I get to spend the next few days leading up to Mother's Day with my Mom - we haven't done that in probably 15 years.  She lives on the East Coast of our lovely country and I am in Central Canada in Ottawa.  So this is a very nice treat!

I decided to combine a few different challenges this week to get to my card for my Mom.  First, I took some liberations with the sketch over at CAS(E) This Sketch.  I love how clean and simple the sketches are over there and I decided to do quite a CAS card.

Next, the theme over at The Paper Players is "Mother" so this was perfect for this week!

Finally, the colour theme over at The Card Concept this week is monochromatic purple.  I love purple so this was a great challenge for me!  My Mom also likes bright and cheery colours - what better than purple?!?!

I decided to enter my card this week into the Clean & Simple category of challenge - it is not too often that I do a one layer card let alone a card this CAS - I'm pretty happy with it.

With all of that said, here is my card for these great challenges!

The stamp set I have used for the paint brush strokes is the brand new one we received at the 2014 Stampin' Up! Catalog Premiere!  I am in LOVE with it!  You will be too, trust me!

I also noticed after I posted this, that this card would be perfect for the theme over at Addicted to Stamps - this week is CAS.  I will also be entering this card into the mix over there.  You should check them out this week as they are also having a Design Team Challenge.  The DT over there is quite inspiring and do some awesome work.

Card Recipe

Card Stock: Whisper White

Ink: Elegant Eggplant, Perfect Plum, Wisteria Wonder, Black Staz On

Stamp Sets: Work of Art, Delightful Dozen (retiring)

Tools/Techniques: All of the stamps (other than the greeting) were "stamped off" first before being applied to the card base to give the colours a lighter look.

Thanks for dropping by!

Steph

With Heartfelt Sympathy

Hi Everyone,

I know it has been quite some time since I have posted but there has been a lot going on here in my life - both good and bad.  But, I'm happy to be back and to be able to feel like getting in my craft room again.

Tonight I needed to make a sympathy card for a friend of mine who lost her husband just last week.  I don't believe in having sympathy cards on hand as I am a little superstitious and believe it is bad luck.  But, at the same time, I really dislike making them - don't we all?

I decided that I would combine a few challenges tonight to make my card.  The first is Colour Me...!  This week is the special 5th week of the month which leaves us being "Creative" and choosing up to 5 colours to use in our card or project.

I decided to use the colours over at Pals Paper Arts for this card.  This week they are combining Real Red, Bermuda Bay and Crumb Cake.  I thought that although these colours usually strike me as a happy colour set, that they could also be used for a Sympathy Card to try to bring  a little sunshine into a very sad time.

Finally, I decided to combine the colours with the sketch challenge over at Just Us Girls for this week.  I really liked the clean lines of this sketch and had ideas pop in my head right away.  This is a challenge that I've never played with before so it is nice to enter somewhere new.  

I used one of my favourite stamp sets for this card - Simply Sketched.  I am really disappointed to see this one retire and I haven't decided if I will be letting this one go or not.  We'll see...

And here is my card for tonight:

Card Recipe:

Card Stock: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Fresh Prints DSP

Ink: Basic Black, Real Red. Crumb Cake

Stamp Sets: Simply Sketched

Tools/Techniques: Basic pearls, Sponging, Envelope Punch Board (to round the corners)

I'll post about the Stampin' Up! 2014 Annual Catalog Premiere later this week and post a few photos to go along with it.  It was a great event!

Thanks for dropping by!

Steph

I'm sorry...

Hi Everyone...

I just want to apologize for not posting anything as of late.  There has been quite a lot going on in my personal life that has been both good and bad - it has been tough.  I will be back soon!

Tomorrow, my girlfriends and I head off to Toronto for the Stampin' Up! 2014 Catalogue Premiere!!!  We can hardly wait.  I know there will be a TON of inspiration and it will be fabulous event.  I am certain that I will come back refreshed from spending some fabulous time with some wonderful ladies (girl time, shopping and Stampin' Up!  Does it get any better?!?!?!) and with a ton of great ideas to share with you all.

I am so looking forward to it!!!

Thanks for dropping by!
Steph

Celebrating Spring with Christmas???

Hi Everyone!

I am not sure where my "crafting mojo" (as my friend Hayley calls it!) has gone lately...perhaps it's lying underneath all the snow we have here in Ottawa.  For our first few days of Spring, Mother Nature celebrated here with another snowstorm!!  How wonderful...  Can you hear the sarcasm?!?!

So, in honour of that, I decided that my first post to celebrate the Spring season would be a Christmas Card - why not?!

I have been checking out the Merry Monday blog for some time but have never played along.  Seeing as this week is their 100th challenge, I thought it appropriate to celebrate with them.  Congrats to all you ladies that work so hard over at Merry Monday, you do such a great job with inspiring us crafters!!

Here was the challenge:

I love the colour combination and the sketch so I decided to combine both for my card.  I took a little liberty with the sketch by moving where I wanted the sentiment to go but I'm sure that's ok with the ladies. :)

Here is my card although for some reason today I could not get the camera to cooperate so my beautiful Melon Mambo paper does not look very "deep pink".  I wish you all could see my card IRL.

I will also be linking this card up to the Festive Friday challenge.  This is another challenge that I've never played along with but love the ideas that the DT come up with.  Here is this week's inspiration photo:

Finally, I will be linking my card up with the challenge over at Christmas Card Challenges.  This is yet another blog challenge that I have never played with but have been following as the work there is stunning.  This week's challenge is ANYTHING GOES.

So I guess today's post is a one of firsts - each challenge is a new one to me!  I'll definitely be back to play with all of these challenges again though.  If you haven't been by to check these challenges out, please do.

Card Recipe (all Stampin' Up! products):

Card Stock:  Melon Mambo Core'dinations, Lucky Limeaide, Whisper White, Silver Glimmer Paper

Ink: Melon Mambo, Lucky Limeaide

Stamp Sets: Endless Wishes Photopolymer

Tools/Techniques: Big Shot, Banner Framelits, Chevron Embossing Folder, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder

Thanks for dropping by!

Steph

For the Newlyweds!

Hi Everyone,

Another post for tonight!  I wanted to share with you another card that I created during our mega card marathon last weekend.  Oh what a fantastic night that was!  This is one that I finished up after the ladies went to bed...I am a sucker for punishment!  But, apparently, good ideas come to me at 4:00am!! lol

Have I mentioned lately how much I absolutely love challenge blogs??  I don't think so...so I guess I should put it out there... I LOVE THEM!  So much inspiration and the blogging world in general is just so supportive.  If you are out there just kind of lurking, you need to start into this crazy world.  It is amazing.  Ok, I'll come down off my little soap box now.

But, speaking of inspiration...my 4:00am inspiration came from the CAS(E) this Sketch challenge this week.  The sketch really spoke to me.

This card actually started out as something completely different and someday my idea might make it to a piece of cardstock so I'll save that one for now... ;)  But, after a lot of hmmm-ing and haaaa-ing, I decided to go with the colours from the new and revamped CAS-ual Fridays challenge.  It was quite an interesting idea to me.

I have also decided to enter this card in the Addicted to Stamps & More challenge for this week.  Who doesn't love an "Anything Goes" challenge?  

So, here goes, here is my card:

The centre flower is a combination of an image from the Flower Shop and Petite Petals stamp sets.  Both images are heat embossed using Smoky Slate embossing powder and the petals are curled using a bone folder.  They are then popped up with a dimensional.  To finish the flower off, a pearl is added to the centre.  In fact, pearls of varying sizes are added to the centre of all of the flowers on the stamped images on the card to add a little bling and make it even more elegant.

Card Recipe (all Stampin' Up! products):

Card Stock: Whisper White, Smoky Slate, Basic Gray

Ink: Smoky Slate, Basic Gray, Versamark

Stamp Sets: Flower Shop, Petite Petals, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Tools/Techniques: Pansy Punch, Petite Petals Punch, Modern Label Punch, Heat Tool, Smoky Slate Embossing Powder, Basic Pearls, Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder

Thanks for dropping by,

Steph